Fastening device.



-G. W. STARK.

FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLIQATION FILED D110. 7, 1910.

999,413. Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

eoumau PLANOOIAPH C0,, WASHINGTON. D- C.

UNITED STATE PATENT @FFIQE.

CHARLES W. STARK, OF MOUNTAIN LAKE, MINNESOTA.

FASTENING DEVICE.

Application filed December 7, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. STARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mountain Lake, in the county of Cottonwood and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to improve, in certain particulars, latch mechanism or fastening devices for use on swinging and sliding doors, gates, wagon ends, and like closures, but is particularly directed to the im rovement of the so-called keeper or latch plate disclosed in my prior Patent, No. 942,470, of date December 7th, 1909.

To the above end the invention consists of the novel devices, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The keeper or latch plate of my said prior patent was not only operative but efficient for the purposes had in view, but it had this disadvantage that its projecting point was liable to catch the harness of a horse driven through a barn door, was liable to scratch or seriously wound a horse, or other animal driven through the door and was quite likely to be bent out of shape when struck by passing objects.

My present invention provides a simple and efficient keeper, or latch plate which is free from all of the above noted objections and which, at the same time, may be made very light, as from thin sheet metal, and which at the same time will be very strong. This is accomplished by providing the pro jecting end of the keeper, or latch plate with an extended arm which serves as a guard and as a brace the end of which is adapted to be secured to the lower frame or casing to reinforce and stiffen the entire keeper or latch plate.

In the accompanying drawings, the improved latch or fastener is shown as applied to a barn door, or similar closure.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a view in elevation with some parts broken away, showing the improved device applied, as stated above; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 596,113.

on the line m x of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view with some parts broken away showing the improved keeper, or latch plate removed from working position.

The numeral 1 indicates a door connected by hinges 2 to a door frame 3. The door 1 is adapted to be held in closed position by means of a latch 4, one end of which is secured to a bolt 5 pivoted to and extended through the door and provided at its inner end wit-h a hand hold 6. At its free end, the latch 4 is shown as provided with an arrow shape-d head which adapts it for application for sliding a door and adapts it for use on either a right or left movable door. Otherwise stated, the latch 4 is a reversible latch, but this feature forms no part of the present invention, also, as shown the latch 4 works in a vertically extended guide 7, preferably, but not necessarily, such as that employed in my prior Patent 907,909, of date December 29th, 1908, entitled End gate fastener.

The keeper or latch plate 8, with which the free end of the latch 4 operates, is substantially triangular and has inclined upper and lower edges 9 and upper and lower lock notches 10, and at its base it is secured to a base plate 11 that is adapted to be rigidly secured, preferably by screws 12 to the adjacent side of the door frame 3. The construction so far described is substantially that of my prior Patent No. 942,470, but in accordance with my invention, I provide the said keeper or latch plate at its contracted outer end with a curved or laterally extended arm 13, the end of which is also adapted to be rigidly secured to the door frame by a suitable screw 14. Preferably the entire keeper or latch plate including its base and its arm 13 are stamped from a single piece of thin sheet metal and, preferably also, the inclined edges 9 to the edges of the arm 18 are formed with turned over or bent flanges to stiffen the same. The extended arm 13 braces and reinforces the keeper or'latch plate and serves as a guard which will prevent the said keeper or latch plate from catching passing obstacles and from scratching or doing damage to animals or other objects moving against the same. The latch plate 8 is also preferably provided with a passage 15 through which, and the hand hold 4 formed on the latch 4, the

shank of a padlock is adapted to be passed to lock the door when desired.

The improved keeper or latch plate described will cost very little, if any, more than the earlier form thereof, is free from all of the objections of the latter and is in all respects a stronger and better latch.

What I claim is:

1. A lock plate provided with an inclined cam edge and lock notch and provided wit-h an integrally formed base and an integrally formed arm, the latter extending from its outer extremity and terminating in the plane of said base, but being distinct from said base.

2. A latch plate provided with reversely inclined upper and lower cam edges and 1 with upper and lower lock notches and provided with an integrally formed base and an integrally formed arm, the latter extending from its outer extremity and terminating in the plane of said base but being distant from said base.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WV. STARK.

WVitnesses:

BERNIOE G. WHEELER, HARRY D. KILGoRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

